Isaac Asimov’s ‘Caves of Steel’ Coming Soon to a Theater Near You

How often do you hear science fiction fans wish that Hollywood would adapt a proven science fiction story rather than turn out a garbage original? Well, now fans can claim a small victory over the unending Hollywood churn machine.

20th Century Fox is adapting Isaac Asimov’s classic science fiction mystery The Caves of Steel. You remember this one, this is the one that introduced New York City police detective Elijah Baley and his robot partner R. Daneel Olivaw (he of the positronic brain) as they set out to solve the crime of a murdered Spacer.

I’m kinda looking forward to this one. I do have fond memories of Caves of Steel, as dryly written as it is. And this could be the start of a new series that dives not only into Asimov’s robot novels and stories, but also the Foundation stories that he later tied into the same timeline.

The Robot Novels are my favorite Asimov novels, although his short stories are what I love the most. I hope they do it justice. After all, I, Robot as it was made was esentially Caves of Steel’s story line in a setting so un-Asimov-like I couldn’t enjoy it. Caves of Steel needs to be a gritty police proceduaral set in the fututre. The whole point of the Robot novels was having mysteries in a scince fiction book that were soloved by old fashioned detective work rather than some nifty gadget. If they do it right, it’ll be easy to get three great films out of it, then move on to the Empire novels before doing Foundation. In the mean time, I have some re-reading to do.

I agree that what Hollywood turns out is not always what good science fiction is about. I had a hard time with I, Robot when it first came out but I have come to like it very much. I am pleased just to be able to see movies at the theater that are science fiction so I support it all. Look at District 9, that came out of nowhere and was a hit to boot. If more come out and we go to them, more will be produced and the better they will get. I go all the time and try to support the industry. Good ones will come and even if it is “based on” an Asimov novel that is still a good start.